Assessement of Growth Performances of Juvenile Sterlet Acipenser ruthenus Raised in a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS).

The study was conducted within the recirculating aquaculture system for sturgeon rearing in Herneacova village, Timis County, on a population of juvenile sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) aged between 346-431 days. Specimens were housed in five round tanks (Ø=3 m, V=6 m³, h=100 cm) and fed with commercial extruded pellets (3 mm granulation, 48% CP, and 10% EE). Fish from each tank were individually weighed and measured once every two weeks. Bioproductive indices such body weight gain (BW), specific growth rate (SGR), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated at the end of an 85 days experimental period. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPPS IBM 22 and Minitab 16 software. Data were reported as Mean±Sx at a significant level of p<0.05. Testing differences between means was realized by ANOVA completed with post-hoc Tukey test. The results obtained indicate that the growth performance of juvenile Acipenser ruthenus seems to be similar and even better than that of other sturgeons species reared in recirculating aquaculture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]